Alarm device



March 9 ,1926.

J. DE vMARTI ALARM DEVICE Filed April 13, 1925 Patented Mar. 9, 1926.

cuirs stares asians Ara'riazur OFFICE.

JOSEPH DE MARTI, F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

ALARM DEVICE.

Application inea April 1a, i925. serial No. 22,507.

The primary object of the invention is te provide a small and efficient device which may be easily positioned in some secret place upon an automobile and may be so connected to a movable part thereof as to produce an alarm, either audible or visible when the automobile is started by an unauthorized person.

A further object oi the invention is to produce such a device that includes a means for setting the parts thereof and for holdy ing them in an inoperative position even under the jolting or jarring fit receives in the use of the automobile and whlch device may be readily manipulated in Van instantV so that it will be operative for its intended purpose. l

These objects of the invention, as well as others, together with the many advantages thereof will more fully appear as I proceed with my specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an alarmv of a switch mechanism intended to beposi-V tioned in' some secret and out of the way place on an automobile, known only to the owner thereof and includes a .fixed and a movable Contact connected up with say the signal horn of the automobile and to a part to be operated when starting the automobile as for instance the clutch pedal, so that when the automobile is started by an unauthorized person, the signal is `sounded continuously, thus notifying not @Illy those inauthorty but others that the automobile is thus being started.

Referring now in detail to that embodikment of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings, theV improved device includes a rectangular base platel which may be secured to a lined part of the automobile as for instance one of the frame members 2 thereof as indicated in Fig. 4l. Said base plate is made of metal and includes an outstanding ear 3 located on the median line of the plate near one end thereof and stamped up from the metal thereof and a pair of outstanding cars dell at the sides of the platemidway between its ends. Iietween said pair of ears and the other end of said base plate is lined a transversely extending bloclr of insulation 5 upon which is mounted a fixed contact plate having an end G offset or spaced from the said insulation block.

7 indicates the movable contact element in the form of a lever pivot at one end as at 8 to the ear 3 and extending at its other end 9 into the space between the said insulation block and offset end of the fixed contact. -A

leaf spring 10 islixed at one endto the base plate in the plane of the movable contact member and engages at its other end with said contact lever 7 in a mannernorinally urging it into engagement Vwith the Xed contact member. Releasable means is provided to hold the movable contact out of engagement with the fixed contact member against-the action ofthe spring 1() and such means is as follows: On that end of the hase plate to which the insulation block is fixed and, in the median line of said plate is mounted a longitudinally .movable or shiftable latch plate V11 having iipturned inner and outer ends 12 and 13, respectively. In said plate isprovided a longitudinally extending slot lll.v A pin 15 lined in said base plate extends through said slot an,r a screw 16 alsoextends through said slot and isthreaded into the base plate. Said piu and screw act in conjunction with the slot to limit the'longitudinal movement'of the latch plate on' the base plate and at the same time prevent separation between said plates. The upturnedinner end 12 of the latch plate is formed to provide anangular tooth 17 KVwhich is adapted to engage the associated end 9 of the movable contact 7 te hold the out at engagement with when said lever is depressed as will later appear, it will engage the angular tooth 17 ot the latch plate and torce the same outwardly aainst the action of the spring 18 so that it may pass and then engage under'the same. Instead ot making the pin 15 separate -from the base plate, it may beit'orined Y by punching out a part of the base plate and then bending it upwardly to act tor all purposes the same as 'said pin 15,

To depress the Contact lever 7 inwardly against the action ot its spring` 10 so ythat it will engage under he tooth 17 of the latch plate, l pro-vide a simple and novel means now to be described. Journalled in the pair, oit ears iwi is a settin- .pin 19 which 1noludes enlarged cylindrical body portion 19a and end portions 19" and l9 ot reduced diameter which have bearingl `in suitable openings provided therefor insaid @farsi-1l. rEhe body portion 1:9a meets the end portion 19C by means ot' a tapered portion or 'cam 19d and the said body portion meets the other end portion 18c by means ot an abrupt sho'ul der and to said end portion 19b outside ot and beyond theassociate'd ear is iiXed a knob 2O byl which said setting` pin may be manipulated or moved in an endivise direc.- tion. y are so arranged that when the shoulder 19evis engaged ragainst its associated bearing);V ear l the cam portion 19d is spaced laterally to one side ot the plane et the-'movable contact lever 7 so that when 'said lever is released by the latch platel l1 'it may 'swing away 'from the base plate into engagement with the lined contact G. moved inwardly, its cam portion 19 will engage said lever and torce it toward the .base plate and its end 9 will pass the latch plate tooth' 17 to e'ngagebeneiath the saine, the body portion 19* then ridingupon said lever. Should it be desired, the setting pin may now be returned to its normal positionv so that the movable contact member may swing upwardly when released. i

The vouter end ot he latch plate is connelcted by a flexible meinberor cable 21 'to a part ot the automobile whichl is actuated whenthe ai'i'tomobile is to be started 'as'ior instance the starter button :or as 'shown herein the 'clutch pedal lVi'thjthe' `lined contact 6 connected b y .a -wire 23 tothe elec- "trical circ-uit of 'the horn 24:k ot the automobile and grounded -Jon Athe-frame the operation will be as tollowsq- When the owner desires to drive his automobile he pushes the setting 2pir/1,19* inwardly that the body thereof lholdstlie fin'ovable rEhe various parts of the settingpinv lWhen the setting pin is` contact 7 away tromthe fixed contact, the spring 10 acting to impose enough pressure upon the contact lever 7 to prevent moving' of the pin out ot this position due to the jolting` or j arring,- of the automobile when under way. This permits free use ot the clutch pedal and attending movement ot the latch plate without in vany manner permitting engagement of the movable contact lever with the iiXed contact member. Now assume that the driver has parked lhis car z-l-le then pulls outwardly on the settingpin 19 leave ing'v the movable contact engaged under the tooth of the latch plate.. Should an unauthorized person attempt to drive the auto-Y mobile, he, ofcourse, must operate the clutch pedal. ln operating the clutch pedal he unknowingly moves the latch plateV 11 and releases the movable contact lever which `under the actionot the spring 10 immediately engages the lined contact 6 and closes the circuit to the signal. The unauthorized personhearing the signal, and not knowing how or what to do to stop the same will be* come startled at the attention attracted to' the automobile and will most likely abandon the same. The owner can then reset the device by pushing the setting pin inwardly.

The device comprises but y a few parts .which are strongand rigid and which are so arranged that they cannot readily get out ot order; lvhile vin describing,` my invention, I have referred to the same as used in connection withV an automobile butthis is for illustration vonly becauseas is apparent it may also be used Lin connection with other objects when its peculiar characteristics makes it advantageous to do so.

I claim as my invention:

1.' A device ot the kind described embody ing therein, -a base, la iiXed contact thereon, a swingable contact lever Vpivotally mounted on the base to swing toward and away from the iiXed contact, means urging said contact ylever toward said fixed contact', a latch ,menr

berl carried on said base for longitudinal movement and adapted to engage the movyable contact leverto hold it out of engagement with the fined cont-act, and a device extending transversely to "the movement ot fon the base to swiiigftoward'and a vay -:trom

the fixed contact, means urging said'contact `lever toward Contact, alatch inemuber carried en 4said base. for longitudinal' movement and adapted to engage the movable contact level` to hold 1t out of engagement with the fixed contact, and an endivise movable setting;- pin mounted on thev base 'for movement transverse of the contact lever and including a cam portion, said cam portion acting in one eiiclwise movement of the setting pin to engage said lever and force it under the latch and to hold said lever away from the fixed contact even when released by said latch, said cam acting when the pin is moved in the other direction to permit said contact lever to engage the iixed contact when released by said latch.

A device of the kind described embodying` therein, a base, a `fixed contact thereon, a swingable contact lever pivotally mounted on one end of the base to swing toward and away from the ixel contact, means urging said contact lever toward said fixed contact, a latch plate longitudinally movable on said base and havingI upturned ends and a longitndinal slotbetween said ends, means in cludingg,` a pin on said base extending through said slot and providing a limited guided movement of the latch plate on the base toivard and away trom the fixed contact, that upturned end of the latch plate adjacent the lined contact havingl a tooth under which the free end of the contact lever is adapted to engage, a spring connecting said pin and the other end of the latch plate and a device mounted on the base and extending across the lever and capable of beingactu-k ated for either holding, said lever When released from the latch plate tooth or permitting said lever to engage the fixed contact lthird ear and having its other and free end arranged under said contact, a spring normally urging` said contact lever intoV engagement With said fixed contact, a latch plate capable ot a limited yielding longitudial guided movement on the other end of the base plate toward and away from said fixed contact and having a tooth to engage tne associated end of said contact lever, and

means arranged in said pair of ears for end- Wise movement and extending transversely o'i' the Contact lever and capable 'of being actuated to either hold said contact lever away trom the fixed contact When released by said latch plate or to permit said lever to engage the fixed contact when released by said latch plate.

In testimony whereof, have hereunto set my hand, this 10th day of April, 1925.

JOSEPH Dn MARTI. 

